


Setting Sun

by Crollalanza



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Beginnings of ... something, Gen, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 23:29:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3547751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crollalanza/pseuds/Crollalanza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Craning forwards, Kyoutani met his stare. “Fuck you, Yahaba, and fuck your team,” he whispered. </p><p>And wrenching away, he walked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Setting Sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eacides](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eacides/gifts).



> This was written for Sophie (Eacides on A03, madkyouken on tumblr) because .... BIRTHDAY!!!!

The journey home had been silent. Oikawa slumped in his seat, Iwaizumi-san staring out the window, eyes dry now. Hanamaki and Matsukawa had sat together playing cards, as they always did, but it was weary, a matter of going through the ropes. Because none of them knew what to do in this situation. It wasn’t that they’d never experienced loss, but it was that this was ... different. They hadn’t been outplayed. They hadn’t been overpowered or outwitted. They’d just lost.

And lost with their best team. A team of worthy champions. A team who would now diffuse in the air because there was nothing left to play for.

The sun was dipping down below the horizon when they pulled into Aobajousai High and a chill had set in, so Shigeru pulled up the zip on his tracksuit top, and followed his senpais off the coach, footsteps plodding, sounding the knell of their defeat.

He saw Oikawa, his hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, step towards the gym. He watched as Matsukawa smiled ruefully at his fellow third years, hoisted his bag over his shoulder, and muttered a few words to their Ace. Hanamaki stared back towards the road, perhaps contemplating that this was their last journey as a team.

Shigeru felt something small inside him break.

“Second years, first years, help unload,” rapped Mizoguchi, opening the coach up, and passing out bags. “Kunimi – no slacking off!”

As Shigeru stepped forwards, someone shoulder barged him. He stumbled, falling into Watari.

“Watch out!” Shigeru yelled. It was his first utterance since leaving the Sendai Stadium, and his voice rasped, but he grabbed the arm of the boy who’d crashed into him, not willing to let it pass. “Kyoutani.”

“What?”

“We’re unloading the gear.”

“Are you?”

“We are.” He tugged his arm. “That includes you.”

“Screw it,” Kyoutani muttered, then lifted his chin. “Screw it all!”

Shigeru was taller, but not by much and any advantage was eaten up by Kyoutani’s sheer presence and bulk. But he wasn’t letting himself be intimidated. Not again.

“You’re part of the team. You help,” Shigeru said, staring him straight in the eyes, his fingers biting into his arm.

Craning forwards, Kyoutani met his stare. “Fuck you, Yahaba, and fuck your team,” he whispered.

And wrenching away, he walked.

 “Kyoutani.” It was Hanamaki, still there, not quite able to enter the gymnasium, his attention flickering between the departing figure of Kyoutani and Shigeru. He clapped his hand on Shigeru’s back. “Get him back.”

“He won’t listen to me.”

“Make him,” Hanamaki said. “If he walks now, do you really think he’ll come back?”

“I’m not Iwaizumi-san,” Shigeru replied and swallowed.

“He listened to you earlier. He calmed down because of you.  Kindaichi overheard what you said.” Hanamaki nudged him forwards. “Go on.”

Taking a breath, Shigeru started the slow, heavy walk towards Kyoutani. He watched as the other boy increased his stride, not running, but not hesitating either. Breaking into a jog, Shigeru followed, still unsure what he’d say, what he could possibly do to stop Kyoutani because if he was determined to quit, then what the hell could he say.

 _And_ \- Shigeru took another quick panted breath as he saw Kyoutani swerve around a corner - _this confrontation isn’t in public. If I handle this badly_ ... He faltered. _If I handle this badly, there’s no telling what he’ll do._

And then he stopped because just as he rounded the corner, ready to stand firm against any onslaught – even fists – he realised one thing. Kyoutani hadn’t taken his bag. He’d left it on the coach. And he was only wearing his training top, and not the overlarge black hoodie he’d arrived in.

There was something else, too. Something Shigeru wished he hadn’t seen. Something he should have realised. Because no one, least of all a guy like Kyoutani who was so passionate, could keep their rage bottled up forever.

Or anguish.

Shigeru backpedalled, but it was too late, and from the ground, where he’d slumped against the wall, Kyoutani stared up at him, his face a mess of ugly snot and tears.

“Fuck off!” he snarled. “Or I’ll fucking deck you!”

“Sorry,” he started to say, but then he halted, for some reason reluctant to leave. Because although he didn’t doubt Kyoutani’s ability and desire to pulverise something (or someone) into the ground, he felt compelled to stay. Besides, Kyoutani hadn’t moved yet. And now his face was buried in his knees.

“We need help unloading,” he said.

“And you decided I’d run off, didn’t you?” muttered Kyoutani.

“You did tell me to fuck off. What was I supposed to think?” Shigeru snapped. “I’m not a fucking mind-reader!”

Kyoutani lifted his head, a kind of smile (that could have been a sneer) playing on his lips. “Never heard you swear before, Yahaba-kun. Didn’t think you’d dirty your pretty lips.”

“Yeah, well,” Shigeru murmured as he walked closer, stopping a pace away. “It was a fucking shithole of a result, wasn’t it?”

“Fucking horrible,” Kyoutani agreed. He stared up at the sky, his eyes wide and wet, but the deluge of tears appeared to have stopped. “I was coming back. I just needed a ... I needed a piss, okay?”

“Sure. I’ll ... um ... I’d better get back. See you there.”

Kyoutani nodded curtly, but instead of remaining on the ground, he levered himself to standing. “I’ll be along in a bit. Still need a piss.”

“’K.”

“Yahaba-kun?”

 “Uh-huh.”

“How are the senpais?”

“Uhm ... holding it together,” Shigeru replied, thinking of Hanamaki’s impassive face, and Oikawa’s hand clutching hold of Iwaizumi’s shoulder.

“Their last chance.” Kyoutani laughed bitterly. “Seijou’s too.”

“You can’t think like that,” protested Shigeru. His voice rose, and he coughed in an attempt to steady it into something far more authoritative. “We’ll be back.”

“Really?” Shaking his head, Kyoutani kicked a pebble, sending it skedaddling across the courtyard. “Those four were strong. Oikawa especially. He’s a match winner.”

“But we didn’t win,” Shigeru countered. “And now ...” He exhaled loudly and ran his hand through his hair. “And now, we have to find other ways to win, don’t you think?”

“You’re including me in this big ‘plan for the future’, then?” Kyoutani mocked.

Shigeru nodded. “If I’m the next Captain, I need an ace. Seijou needs an ace. Damn right, I’m including you, Mad Dog-chan.”

Kyoutani’s snarl was half-hearted. “For all your pretty looks, you’re not Oikawa, Yahaba, so don’t call me that, or I really will deck you.”

“And you’re not ‘Iwa-chaaaan’,” trilled Shigeru, wickedly mimicking Oikawa’s voice.

Kyoutani didn’t laugh. “Don’t I know it,” he murmured and gazed back up at the sky. “You really think we have a chance next year.”

“Yes.” Heartened by the word ‘we’, Shigeru licked his lips, stepped back to Kyoutani and punched his arm. “We have you, and you’re strong.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm kinda intrigued by this pair now, so I might write some more.
> 
> (Someone give me a timeturner)


End file.
